Things go in cycles

Damn if Thursday, March 20 isn't an embarrassment of riches here in Montreal. I seem to be the only musician NOT playing that night.

- Bassist Miles Perkin has a double CD launch at O Patro Vys (356 Mont-Royal Est). An immensely creative player and composer, best known now in the world-at-large for his work with Québécoise songstress Jorane, he'll be celebrating the release of his solo bass/voice/electronics disc, Aposiopesis as well as an outing by the revamped Common Thread, The Guessing Game. The latter is a group featuring Erik Hove and Chet Doxas on reeds, Thom Gossage on drums, Sarah Pagé on harp and Joe Grass on all other things strung (guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, dobro and banjo). A night surely to remember.

- To reflect notre deux solitudes, the normally-all-franco Ligue d'improvisation musicale de Montreal (LIMM) is celebrating their 50th match with the Francophone all-stars, led by [iks] guitarist Sylvian Pohu, facing off against a specially invited Anglo team, drafted by drummer Stef Schneider. The hijinks will ensue at Petit Campus (57 Prince-Arthur). Note: the improv referenced here has more in line with improv comedy than musique actuelle, though any of the people involved could pull off both. We're a funny lot out here.

- Pianist and composer Malcolm Sailor has inadvertently founded the "St-Henri klezmer-punk" scene in his apartment and created a band called The Youjsh, which features the Indigone Trio rhythm section of Alex Mallett (bass) and Phil Melanson (drums) along with Randal Pierce (accordion), Adam Kinner (saxophone), Kate Molleson (clarinet) and Eva Boodman (trumpet). You can wish them all l'chaim at Le Cagibi (5490 St-Laurent).

- And on an entirely different note, if you ever thought you could rhyme like Busta, you can put your skills to the test at another installment of Montreal's Hip-Hop Karaoke. Hosted by Tashish, Moonstarr, and More or Les at Zoobizarre (6338 St-Hubert), there's only two rules: no n-word; and no freestyling.